"Anne had hoped that bringing Roy to 'Slam funk the junk' would be at least partly fulfilling to her.
It was the last week before they started studying for their finals, Anne felt cultured to the core.
Roy had invited her to the theatre, he had wined and dined her at the finest restaurants, she had watched the orchestra play. Roy had become a good friend. They studied together, their courses the same. They thought the same.
Anne had hoped doing something normal for her with him would give her some perspective as to where she came from and who she was, so they walked into that Tiny coffee shop and sat down. He went up to the counter without asking her what she would like and brought her back latte.
"Oh." She said looking at the cup. "Um, thank you." She said slightly confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"Nothing." She said staring at the coffee cup. "They do a really nice Jasmine Tea here that's all." She said.
"My apology." He said with a nod ready to take off and get her one.
"No, its okay. A latte is fine." She assured him.
He nodded and sat over from her, again Anne was surprised it meant he couldn't see the stage.
"This is very cozy." He said looking around. "I didn't even know it was here." He admitted.
"Hey Anne!" Another regular recognised her.
"Hi Ash." She smiled at him.
"We were beginning to think we'd lost you forever." he said. "no Gilbert?" he asked.
Anne controlled her breathing at the mention of his name "No actually, he went to NYU on an exchange program for this semester, maybe even next." Anne admitted then with a chuckle managed "it would be quite the trek for him."
To which the lad nodded in response then shuffled away.
"Gilbert?" Roy asked.
"Just a friend." Anne struggled to say it for some reason to which Roy nodded. "Actually he came from Avonlea with me, he's good friends with Charlie Sloane too." Anne added which seemed to put Roy at ease.
"Ah, Charlie yes, so the same Gilbert who is class president?" Roy asked.
"Thats right." Anne acknowledged. "he got elected when we won against the Jr class at the arts rush. If I remember correctly he copied the war plan from some war game with little soldiers... " she said with a shrug.
"So not your type then." He said out loud as if to reassure himself.
"Excuse me, I need to use the ladies." She said as she slipped out the seat and headed there.
The door closed and locked behind her she let out a gasp of air.
The topic of Gilbert was way too close to heart! Why did she bring him here?
Roy had become a good friend over the past semester and he had filled a somewhat emptiness, it was times like this though she missed Gilbert.
She'd watched in shock at his Facebook tags. Apparently, he'd taken to the extreme sports and she couldn't help but notice the pretty brunette tagged as 'Christine Stuart' was almost always standing beside him. Groups of them all stood their arms around each other smiling at the camera. Water rafting down dangerous and fast rivers, some of the hardest rock climbs in New York. Abseiling down buildings, parachutes... Things which even in his daredevil moments Anne knew he wouldn't normally try. This girl obviously had a pull on him. Anne's one consolation was that Gilbert's relationship status was marked as 'single'. It couldn't have been all that serious if he didn't acknowledge it online.
She took a couple of deep breaths and clicked on Facebook on her phone.
Surely this had been long enough. She missed him.
Her heart plummeted into her stomach as she saw the words she dreaded to see.

Gilbert Blythe is in a relationship.

Anne looked at it in shock for a moment her eyes filled with tears. Christine didn't need to be tagged, Anne knew it was her. Anne took a deep breath and decided on one thing.

She was not going to idly sit watching him have a relationship with someone else! She clicked on his profile and clicked on the 'unfollow' and 'see first' buttons. At least that way she wouldn't be watching it. She washed her face making sure there was no sign of her distress as she went back into the sit in area. She could see from Roy's face his surprise at it and his disdain.

"You aren't liking this." Anne said to him upon returning.
"Well its butchering Keats. Deep and meaningful poetry turned to mush."
"Its okay, we don't have to stay." Anne told him "lets go." She told him.
"Are you sure?" he asked her.
"Yes." She confirmed she needed to be as far away as possible from anything which reminded her of Gilbert.

This included.

They left the coffee shop and Roy took her to a branded shop which played generic Jazz in the background.
"Now, they do green tea here." Roy said to her as he stood to go to the counter.
"No." Anne said shaking her head. "A latte." She said with determination.
He smiled widely "alright then."
They sat and chattered for a while Anne had come to appreciate the finer things with him. Not only that she appreciated his serious soul. Though he would never sit and laugh at the 'Slam funk the junk' Anne didn't need it in her life.
"I'm confused, why do you like it?" he asked her.
"Oh, I…" she blushed. She wasn't about to tell him he's too serious. "I'm not sure." She said playing with her necklace.
"What's the necklace you always wear?" he asked her.
"Oh." She said looking at it for a moment. "Well, you see, my parents died when I was little and I went back to Bolingbrook where I grew up and, well it's a whole different story on how I got these but they came into my possession and they were my mom and dad's wedding rings, my mom's engagement ring and a ring my dad had made up to celebrate my birth, see it has my initials on." She said showing him.
"Oh." He said looking a little shocked.
"What?" she asked him.
"No, I suppose, sorry you don't remember your parents?" he asked her.
"Um, no." she admitted.
"Then why keep it? And so close?" he asked her. "Its depressing."
Anne's brow furrowed. "Haven't you kept anything of your dad's?" she asked him.
"Well yes but I knew him." He said sitting straight. He looked at the necklace then to Anne. "You need something more delicate for that lovely neck of yours, let me buy you something for it." He said to her.
"Oh no, you don't need to do that." She told him.
"But I should, a neck so fine should be decorated for its own sake." He said with a smile.

"They walked up towards what Anne thought was Patty's place but he soon made a by-line for one of the big houses on Spofford Avenue. "Roy where are we going?" she asked him as they made their way up the drive.
"This is my house." He told her as they arrived at the door.
Anne eyes went wide in amazement. She knew Roy was Rich but not this rich! It was the biggest and oldest house on the block. "Oh." She said in amazement. "I see." She said.
"Come in with me." He told her and he took her by the hand and they went into the house.
Anne felt unprepared for the house she hadn't thought she was coming anywhere special. She was wearing her band t-shirt and her hair was in pigtails. Her glasses slipped as they went into the house.
"Royal!" His mother greeted them. "You're back early." She said. She looked to Anne. "And you must be the young lady he won't shut up about." She said to her nose upturning slightly.
Anne blushed. She really hadn't expected to be going back to meet his family. What an impression to leave on them!
"Mom, this is my girlfriend Anne." He proclaimed.
And the surprises kept on coming! Not only had she been short-sighted by meeting his family now she was his girlfriend too!
"Pleased to meet you." His mother said but Anne was unsure of her sincerity.
"I want to show you something." He told Anne taking her through the house.
"Pleased to meet you." Anne managed to stutter before Roy took her out to the back of the house.
Anne looked in amazement at the garden in front of her. "Our own private garden." Roy told her quietly. "I thought you might like the beauty."
Anne looked out to the very large very organised and very beautiful garden. She smiled softly and said to him "its beautiful." She managed. It was true it was beautiful. It was an organised beauty which Anne could appreciate, it was nothing like the ruins of Hester's Garden, wild and free. ' Yes, this is different .' She thought, 'but I can learn to love it.'
"Anne I'm sorry I got ahead of myself back there." He said to her taking her by hand. "I meant to ask you to be my girlfriend but words kept getting in the way." He told her. He turned her into him and put his arm around her "will you Anne?" he asked her leaning close into her.
Anne froze in the moment, she couldn't make herself move through she knew what was coming. He brought his mouth to hers and he kissed her. Anne was confused for a moment expecting the same kind of feeling she had experienced with Gilbert to happen. She stopped to analyse it and upon realising the feeling wasn't coming she felt a strange sort of relief come over her. He pulled back and said lowly "I'll take that as a yes then." He said then kissed her again.
He pulled back again and said "Oh Sweetheart!" he said to her holding her to him and she let him, because Roy was sweet, in a different way to Gilbert but still sweet, she could certainly learn to love him.

Anne had thought she was looking forward to coming home. She said thought because Davy had been acting very odd and when Roy had visited Davy had been downright rude. Muttering and not looking to Roy at all. It had gone unnoticed by Roy, thank heavens, he wasn't the observant type. On the second day Anne went to Davy when he was out in the garden playing with Paul.
"Paul." Anne said with a smile. "What a surprise!" she smiled. "I need to speak to Davy if that's okay?" she asked him.
"There's nothing you can say which you can't say in front of Paul." Davy said in defensively.
"No I really think…"
"Just say it!" Davy exclaimed.
Anne took a breath. "You've been very rude to Roy, Davy, especially after he brought you a present by way of 'hello'…"
"I don't need his gifts." Davy said moodly. "Its for a kid anyway…"
"It doesn't matter what the gift is, Roy was thoughtful enough to bring you a gift Davy and he is our guest…"
"No Anne, he's your guest." Davy corrected.
"Davy!" she exclaimed in surprise. "what is the matter with you?!"
At this he kicked the ball beyond the fence and turned red faced to Anne. "Tony Pye told Milty Boute that Gilbert won't come home!" he said. Anne looked in shock as he continued "Tony Pye said that Gilbert was heartbroken and wouldn't come home because it hurt too much." He swallowed then shouted at her "and its your fault and his!" Davy said.
"Davy…" she started.
"Did you break his heart?" Davy asked still shouting. Anne was mute and tears came to her eyes. "You can't even deny it. Gilbert is gone from the island he won't come back because the memories are too much which means he won't come here!" Davy said. "Did you even think about everyone else when you told Gilbert no?" he only rhetorically asked. "And why him ?!" He asked about Roy. "I can't see anything special about him and Milty Boute said you're a gold digger!"
"Davy…" Anne tried again in a quiet voice.
"I hate you!" Davy proclaimed before he ran into the house.
Anne blinked back the tears. Before she realised Paul was still standing there quite dumbfounded "I'm sorry you had to see that Paul." She said quietly.
Paul looked to her thoughtfully. "You miss Gilbert don't you?" he asked her. To which she didn't respond. "That's okay, the worse kind of grief we can't always vocalise." He said way too seriously for his age.
"You should know nothing of that sort of grief Paul." Anne said to him gently her fingers playing with her bracelet.
"I don't but I saw it in dad." He said. "when my mother left me and dad…"
Anne looked to him amazed "How do you know about that?" she asked.
"Mom and Dad don't know I know but I do. I heard a conversation a long time ago, I was meant to be asleep." He took a sigh. "Its okay, I never needed my birth mothers love, dad always loved me enough for two." He smiled. "but its nice having a mom now. My birth mom was called Angela and she left me, she didn't want me, dad did, that makes him a real dad, not biology." He sighed "but dad, he always seemed sad even when he was happy, before he found mom again." He looked to Anne seriously "you seem sad Anne, even when you're happy." He said. "Its because you miss Gilbert." He said.
"I know I miss him, but he's asked for space, what else am I meant to do?" she said not really expecting an answer.
"You know all I want when I ask for space is for someone to put their arms around me and hug me in and not let go." Paul said.
"I haven't seen him all semester," Anne said quietly. "and if he does stay away all summer…" Anne trailed with a sigh. "I can't."
Paul swallowed. "Don't leave it to long though eh Anne?" he said. "You don't want to lose years to this."
Anne looked at Paul and put her arms around him. "When did you get so wise?" She said with a smile to him.
He lop smiled for a moment which strangely reminded her of Gilbert. "I better go catch up with Davy." He said quietly and he ran across the yard to follow Davy.
"Thing is Paul, I fear I already have." She whispered sadly before she felt a hand on her arm.
"Is everything alright sweetheart?" Roy asked her. Anne knew he was genuinely concerned, he was sweet like that.
"Yes." She said to him. "I was just trying to talk to Davy about his behaviour. I'm sorry." She told him turning into him.
"No, no dear ," he said Anne felt a little condescended to, "it's just his age." Roy said brushing it off. Anne was glad he was able to brush it off so easily and he wasn't enquiring as to the real reason for Davy's behaviour. He looked to the house "it's a rustic house." He said looking to the house. "Full of charms of its own. Quaint."
"Doesn't it?!" Anne asked him. "Do you like it?" she asked.
"Well it isn't Kingsport but its charming." He said to her.
"Come for a walk." She said to him. "I'll show you some old haunts."
Anne walked him through the woods through dryad's bubble and the white way to delight, as well as down to the lake of shining water.
"You've given them such imaginative names." He said with a smile. "I want you to give Kingsport places these names." He said with a smile to her. She took a deep breath not daring admitting she'd already done that with Gilbert in first year. She smiled at the memory for a minute at Gilbert joining in. "What makes you smile so?" he asked her.
"Oh nothing." She said shaking her head. "Just thinking of names for places in Kingsport." She lied. "Come on." She told him "we're almost there." She said pulling him on. She walked past areas of old haunts with Gilbert but didn't point them out to Roy her stomach turning in her. The turning for Hester's garden and the cut towards the apple tree. Those were too private and intimate between her and another man.
She blushed but blamed it on the walk.
Since when had Gilbert became the other man?!
"Ah a coffee shop!" Roy exclaimed upon coming into town. "Finally, something I know."
Anne laughed thinking it was a joke and he looked confused at her. "Sorry wasn't it a joke?" she asked him.
"No." he said confused. "What's funny?" he asked.
"Nothing." She said finishing her giggle.
"Latte?" he asked her, to which she didn't even nod but she took a seat while he got the coffees.
It was when Roy was at the counter that she looked up to see Mrs Blythe come in the shop, it was unavoidable. "Hello Mrs Blythe." Anne blushed.
"Hello Anne." She said shortly.
Anne felt her heart break a little. She didn't know what to expect really, her son was gone and she hadn't seen him for quite some time. "How are you?" She tried softly.
"Fine, thank you." She said equally as short.
Anne could almost feel the tears gather in her eyes. "How's…" she trailed his name wouldn't pass her lips. "…your family?" she asked desperate not to hear of Gilbert's love life but desperate to hear of him .
"Gilbert won't be coming back to the island this summer." She informed her. "He has a job in a lab in New York."
"Oh." Anne said her heart racing. "He'll find that interesting then?"
"He should, but he should be home." Mrs Blythe said to her accusingly. "But then he's staying up at NYU for another semester, playing games with his life with that ridiculous thrill group."
"Mrs Blythe…" Anne started.
"But we both know why he won't be home any time soon don't we Anne ?" Mrs Blythe said looking in the direction of Roy then looked to Anne and before Anne had the chance to return she said "excuse me." And left the coffee shop again.
Anne took a deep breath and the deep pit returned to her stomach again. This feeling was endless, was it ever going to go away?

Roy had come to Green Gables at least once a week during the summer, except for two weeks in August where he went with his family to their castle in Spain. Anne had thought he was kidding but this chateau was like a castle by the skyping Roy did once a week with her. Built in 1740s it was a seafront building. Anne couldn't believe it! The words 'charming and quaint' now seemed rather insulting to her beloved Green Gables although she was sure Roy didn't actually mean it as an insult but in relative to his literal castle in Spain, it must seem positively tiny.